SANDAKAN – Yatti Titing, 40, has been busy with plugging the leaks in her container house in a field in Kg Gas, Batu Sapi.
“The weather isn’t looking good. I need to get ready if it rains. Water leaks through the gaps in the zinc walls.”
Her family is one of many in container houses since her house in the same village burnt down in July 2018.
A total of 114 containers were placed at an open field as temporary housing, available to those without a place to go.
“They told us it was temporary. All we want is our old site back. A new house may be too much of a request, so we just want them to build the bridge (that was also burnt down) and assign us to our lots, so we can start rebuilding our houses.
“While waiting, we are just grateful that we have roofs over our heads, and we don’t have to pay for water and electricity.”
Lacking basic amenities
Dubbed Kg Container, Yatti said residents have to get creative to survive.
They have built a wooden walkway so people would not step into mud walking house to house.
“They prepared us with eight shared toilets, which is funny because there is no water supply there. The water pressure does not reach the toilet. So we have to carry buckets of water to the toilet when needed.
“Those who live further from the toilets would have their own toilet space outside of their containers. It is not hygienic, but practical.
“Things became better when some families moved out, and we got to move our older children to the other containers. Now we have more space.
“As time passes, things start to get unbearable.”
She said they have to contend with rain and heat most of the time.
“When the sun is up, we feel like being ‘roasted’. So, I have a small fan that I took with me during the fire.”
Authorities slow to act
Yatti said the last time the authorities met the residents was a few months ago when they were told that the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) was still looking into the land, structures and planning of the houses.
Another resident, Kolnar Sarinah Sailan, said she is not blaming the current state government for the situation.
“People from Warisan came to visit and gave us some assistance. They are constantly inspecting our situation to make sure we are fine.
“Right now, without a bridge, we cannot build our houses. They also don’t allow us to do so until SMC gives the green light.”
Kolnar is a housewife with five children and her husband who was previously a fisherman, has been providing e-hailing service to support the family after his fishing equipment was destroyed in the fire.
Proactive reps needed
In June 2018, 90 houses in the Kg Gas water village were destroyed by a fire, leaving about 400 villagers homeless.
Many of them have moved to other places, some living with their relatives in nearby villages.
Local community activist Azlani Rayqiezan said he hopes for the relevant authorities to return the land to the fire victims for them to rebuild their houses.
“Our representatives have to be more proactive in ensuring basic infrastructure such as bridges in Kg Gas be built immediately, and have their electricity supply reconnected.”
In February, Batu Sapi MP Datuk Liew Vui Keong of Warisan had promised the fire victims that SMC would reconstruct the bridge soonest.
The Kg Gas fire was not the first in Batu Sapi. Fire destroyed 32 houses in Kg Air in March 2019, 7 in Kg Cenderamata in June 2019, 35 in Kg Bungaya in November, and 30 in Kg Sheng Kee in February.
As the state election approaches, Usno leader Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia on September 20 raised the issue in Sandakan, promising in his manifesto to give RM10,000 to each family that lost their house in the fire.
Karamunting and Sekong state seats fall under the Batu Sapi federal constituency. – The Vibes, September 25, 2020
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